In the picture, the senior shortstop from Troy is following through on the swing that's allowed her to break nearly every significant offensive record in the history of the Saints' softball program.

"It's nice to see that the school trusts me," Jones said Monday, looking at her likeness during an interview.

More than that, Siena has depended upon Jones to lift a program that's known almost no success since going Division I in 1983. The Saints have enjoyed just one winning season since then and have only qualified for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament once since 1995.

Jones, batting a team-leading .367, has led her team to the brink of a rare MAAC postseason appearance with only a week left in the final regular season of her career. She feels her legacy at the school will be judged partly on whether the Saints can make it.

More Information

Jones' career stats

Category Total Rank

RBI 147 (1st)

Runs 130 (1st)

Hits 222 (1st)

Doubles 49 (1st)

Avg. .390 (1st)

HRs: 34 (2nd)

"You know how people talk about professional athletes and say they're only as good as how many championships they have?" Jones said. "I just feel like if we don't qualify ... it's just going to leave that hole in my career that I will not be happy with."

The Saints (16-24 overall) begin the week by meeting the University at Albany (30-11) for a doubleheader Tuesday at Siena Field. The Great Danes have dominated the nonleague rivalry, beating the Saints in 14 of their 15 meetings while Jones has been at Siena.

After facing UAlbany, Siena enters a crucial closing weekend in MAAC play. The Saints are in third place in the league at 8-4. They have a doubleheader at home against Canisius on Saturday, followed by another at Marist on Sunday.

The Saints could reach the MAAC Tournament for the first time since 2003.

"I think it would be a turning point in this program, to be honest," Jones said. "The fact we've finally set ourselves up in the perfect position, I'm just really excited."

Jones chose Siena only after an offer from Quinnipiac fell through. The rest is program history.